The iPhone is on PC World's "15 Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2007" list. From the brouhaha I've been reading, you'd think that they think the iPhone is a piece of junk. Nothing could be farther from the truth -- they think it's "wildly innovative." What they're largely griping about is how Apple has handled the iPhone to this point:

"Memo to Apple: It's time to treat iPhones for what they really are--pocket computers with phone functions built in--and open them up the world. Just a thought."

They're also unhappy with the price tag bait and switch. I don't blame them for that either, I would have rather not spent the extra $100. What else, hmmm... they gripe about AT&T's network. I can't stay mad at anyone that doesn't love their carrier. I agree with their article. The iPhone is a masterwork, but it's a heavily locked-down device, and I'm not sure yet of the real reason.

Zach Nelson of Inc.com declared the iPhone is ushering in the next major computing platform. I agree with him, really -- the ability to intelligently browse actual websites on the iPhone is a killer business feature. He's the CEO of NetSuite, and a bit of the article is him crowing that NetSuite worked perfectly with the iPhone out-of-box, but still... it's a good article with some fine insights:

"Not the humble cell phone, you say? It's too small, too weak, too underpowered for serious productivity? If history matters, new computing platforms have always emerged from the low-end of the marketplace. The Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) minicomputer supplanted the IBM mainframe, then Sun’s Unix Workstations replaced DEC, and the PC replaced Sun. Now, the phone is going to surpass the PC."

It briefly sounds like quackery, but he smartly refrains from predicting the death of the PC or the death of the internet.

"Just as there are still mainframes, mini-computers and workstations in use, the phone won’t eliminate the PC. But more and more work will get done on your phone. And the same transition we saw from keyboard-only mainframe applications to point-and-click mouse-driven interfaces is happening again, this time with designs that keep the needs of mobile users in mind. It is going to force software companies to think carefully about how they use that precious screen real-estate on the phone.

If you still aren't convinced, just wait, and the decision will be made for you by your best and brightest new hires. Never lose sight of what the college students of today are accustomed to. Living -- not just communicating -- on a small, handheld device is simply second-nature. They are so tied to these devices that their dedication, and the applications already being created for the latest vanguard of smart phones, is going to transform business five to ten years down the road." "